Fun House
by DawnTwilight
Summary: A little down time between cases lead to a little fun...at least for Dean


Title: Fun House

Author: Twilight

Rated: G

Feedback: Always welcome

Summary: Down time between cases leads to a little fun…for Dean anyway.

Notes: So this is the first thing I have written in months...RL has just been so...well, anyway, hopefully I'll have more interest in getting back to one of my fav hobbies and out of this funk. Hope ya all enjoy.

SNSNSNSN

"Dean, man…this is stupid." Sam stalked along beside him, excusing himself as they pushed and weaved through the throng of people strolling on the sandy boardwalk.

The sky was brilliant blue, the sun was hot on their backs and the air was pregnant with salt and squawking seagulls, kettle corn and greasy fries and Dean couldn't help but smirk, "come on, dude…it'll be fun."

He knew he had to come here just as soon as they passed over the Maryland State line.

Early this morning, just as the sun was rising, while Sam was snoring and drooling against the passenger door, Dean spotted an old and weathered sign for the Sea Shell Shack and he remembered.

It seemed as if it were another lifetime ago, but that day spent on the beach with his dad and brother was still so vivid in his memory. Sammy was probably not even six yet, still ignorant to what was out there…innocent.

And his dad was different too…more relaxed and open with his boys. His father wasn't in a hurry that day or stressed, as Dean had come to realize, and had let them play in the sand, building forts and in the surf, running from the crashing waves.

He had let them eat cotton candy and Dean dutifully rode the kiddy rides with his brother, taking Sam through the house of mirrors as their dad watched from the boardwalk, then his dad steered them into the arcade, handing him a few bills so he could blast aliens.

They played mini golf, hitting brightly colored balls through dinosaur legs and over fake volcanoes and for dinner they stopped at a little shack over the Delaware line. He could still taste the heady beef and melting cheddar, the sweet onion and tart mustard. It was the best cheeseburger he had ever had…or maybe it was just because the day had been so great.

Sam excused himself again, drawing Dean back to the here and now.

It had been so many years since they had last been in Ocean City and months since they had taken a day off, time for them, just to do nothing, just to have fun.

Thrasher's was still on the corner near the inlet parking and Sam ducked around an old lady, pushing a walker, her t-shirt showing a shapely body in a bikini.

The line moved fast and once Dean shelled out the five bucks, Sam dumped on the vinegar and ketchup, shoving in the fries and wiping his fingers on his jeans, slapping Dean's hand when he reached for some. "Dude, I paid for them."

Sam didn't even look his way, just stuck a few more in his mouth and sucked the salt and Old Bay off his fingers.

This was nice…this was almost normal.

The arcade still stood across from the fry place, the sounds of sirens and guns, the pings and zips and swooshes of the games escaped the cavern like structure and Dean patted his pocket to see if he had some change. Time to kill some aliens, although he doubted his brother would still fit on the bucking bronco that was bolted to the floor at the entrance of the place.

"Here," he said, handing Sam two quarters and canting his head toward the ride.

His brother frowned, and then pocketed the change, before walking farther into the bowels of the building. Dean didn't see him again until two hours later, holding a stack of tickets out to a little boy, who took them with a squeal and then ran off toward the exchange counter.

"You ready to get into something else?" he asked, leading the way toward the exit.

Sam nodded, following along until they reached the packed boardwalk again.

A group of people were gathered around, watching a man in Bermuda shorts and a floppy hat sculpting the sand. He had already completed a depiction of the Last Supper and Jesus hanging on the cross, hands outstretched and beckoning. As they passed the guy was working on the mane of a lion, nested next to a lamb.

Sam did a double take, but didn't comment

Farther up from the sculptures, Dean spotted hundreds of bright kites swarming the sky and the freaking Batmobile parked next to an 'eclectic' art gallery. "Lets go there next."

He hurried toward the car, "can you believe this, Sam?" But his brother wandered over toward the building, and was staring a little crossed eyed at a picture hanging outside the gallery. Well technically there were hundreds of frames and painted ocean scenes covering the wall of the building, but Sam was looking at a print of waves and as Dean moved closer he saw a sign hanging over it asking if he could see the dolphins…he couldn't. "I don't get it."

"This is so cool," Sam mumbled, refocusing his eyes and then letting them cross again. "Just stare at it, let your eyes relax…sorta zone out on the waves."

He did, but all he saw was water. "I still don't get it." But what he did see was a flyer for the amusement park at the other end of the boardwalk, announcing a ticket special for the weekend. "Never mind…come on, I got an idea."

And for the next couple of hours, they rode everything at least ten times, and Dean had never laughed so hard.

On the final loop of the bigger coaster, he looked over at Sam and for the first time in a long time, his brother was smiling and laughing, relaxed.

They stumbled toward the exit, but Dean pulled on Sam's arm before he could slip out the gate. "Not yet, man. We got one more thing to do."

Sam followed him to the far corner of the lot, bulking when he saw where they were going.

"Seriously?"

"Don't be a wussy, Sam…"

Dean ignored the expected eye roll and ushered his brother toward the entrance, waiting patiently behind a few couples for a car. Once they were seated and the safety bar was lowered, the car jerked them through a swinging gate into utter darkness. He could hear the slap of the door as the ride lurched them forward.

Dean sunk down, trying to let his eyes adjust to the darkness, knowing that something was going to jump out of them at any moment and he wasn't disappointed.

A huge clown fell from the rafters, a noose around it's neck, the painted face smudged from age, but it's red hair and nose gave it a demented look and Sam jumped so high, for a second he thought his brother might be getting out of the car. "Easy buddy, I won't let anything get you."

"Shut up, Dean."

He would like to have seen the expression on Sam's face, but the car moved along the rails and through another door, keeping them both in the dark. Skeleton's and black cats, an old man with a pitch fork and some dude with a mask jumped out, and dropped down on them.

Feathery light wisps of something floated down and across Dean's face, making him sputter and he could hear Sam's pearls of laughter. Puffs of smoke filled the next chamber and Dean could see the light from outside peeking around the frame of the last door when he remembered. He dug into his pocket and pulled out two sticks of gum. "Here, chew this."

"Uh, why?"

"Just do it." Dean could just make out his brother in the gloom of the final room. "And hurry it up, would ya."

Sam unwrapped the gum Dean shoved at him, chewing and when the last door swung open and the car bumped long the rails, Dean elbowed him and pointed toward the wall just before the exit.

"You gotta be ki…"

"Sam!" Dean spit the gum into his palm and smacked it onto the wall along with a thousand other pieces, waiting for his brother to follow his lead.

Sam rolled his eyes again, but pulled his gum out with his fingers and gingerly stuck it on the wall, shaking his hand and wiping his fingers on Dean's shirt.

But Dean didn't mind, not really. "Now there will always be a piece of us here, you know…for prosperity or whatever it is that they say."

He was expecting a witty retort or at least some snark from Sam, but his brother just jumped out of the car and headed for the exit. When Dean heard Sam's stomach rumbling he said, "I know where we are getting our grub tonight. You're gonna love it."

"Let me guess…cheeseburgers." Sam held the gate for Dean. "We going to that little shack in Delaware?"

Dean stopped walking, "You remember that…the day we spent here…"

"Not much, but sure," Sam shrugged. "It was one of the best days…dad was…"

He waited for his brother to say more, but when Sam shrugged again and turned to go, Dean grabbed him by the arm. "Thanks Sammy. Thanks for spending the day," he looked around at the crowded boardwalk and the fun house they just left, "for doing all of this."

"I had fun, man…now let's go," Sam had a full blown smile on his face, his eyes shining with mirth, crinkling around the corners and Dean couldn't remember the last time that had happen. "I'm starving," his brother told him. "And I want to shoot some golf balls up a dinosaur's nose."

Dean laughed again; thinking today was a lot better than that day so long ago. "Sounds like a plan."

And he decided, at that moment, that no matter what happened in the future, the things they couldn't control, whatever crap that got thrown their way, they would always have today. "Hey, wait up, dude."

The End


End file.
